Donate to your favorite cause through Race for a Reason

Graduate student sets $10,000 goal to help local family

Feb 17, 2014By Nicole Pellechia

As one of the largest community charity events in Ohio, The O'Bleness Health System Race for a Reason brings together caring and giving people from all over the nation to raise money for the charity of their choice.

Scheduled for April 26 on the Ohio University Athens Campus, participants in the 5K, mud run, and triathlon will have the opportunity to donate and participate for the charity or organization of their choice.

One of the differences this year is the addition of a 3K Diabetes Walk, thanks to donations made by AMVets. The 3K event was added to accommodate community members interested in participating, but who are either unable to run or are more comfortable walking.

"We are also hoping to have more participation from student organizations," said Carey Goodman, the 2014 director for Race for a Reason. "There is a student organization triathlon relay that appeals directly to organizations on campus. Ideally, we would like these organizations to all choose a different cause to fundraise for. We had more than 40 different organizations involved last year and would like to exceed 50 this year."

Eric Shainock, a second-year Ohio University graduate student in the Sports Administration program, has been working and fundraising, along with his classmates, to support a local family in need.

Lilly Straley is a 6-year-old Athens child who is suffering from a rare form of cystic fibrosis. With no federal funding from the government, research for cystic fibrosis is dependent entirely on donations.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the event come together. I would have never guessed that so many people in Athens would be interested in a race," said Shainock.

As a team, the Sports Administration students are aiming to raise about $25,000 of the event's $100,000 goal.

Despite being in his last semester at Ohio University, Shainock has dedicated a large portion of his time supporting Race for a Reason. He hopes to work for a non-profit athletics organization after graduation.

"You can use sports as a global platform to give back to the community," said Shainock.